Another Crazy Day in AI: When Teenagers Teach Adults

Wowza Team
Jul 25
4 min read

Hello, AI Enthusiasts.

Before you shut your laptop and start the weekend, here’s something worth thinking about.

Like the one that happened in Nepal: a 16-year-old student and his dad (NYU Stern’s Chief AI Architect) led AI workshops for teachers and nonprofit leaders. But it wasn’t about flashy tools. It was about creating space for honest questions: What is AI actually doing in schools? Who gets to shape that future?

Meanwhile, in the workplace, AI may not replace your job (yet), but it is messing with how new people learn the ropes. One expert says the biggest disruption might be to how we train talent.

And if your searches have been feeling a little...off, Google’s new experiment might finally get you.

Big shifts don’t always start with big tech. Sometimes they start with better questions.

Here's another crazy day in AI:

Student perspective on AI education
Why entry-level roles may feel AI’s pressure first
Google debuts AI-organized search results
Some AI tools to try out

TODAY'S FEATURED ITEM: Teaching AI Across Generations

A robotic scientist in a classic white coat with 'AI Scientist' on its back stands beside a human scientist with 'Human Scientist' on their coat, looking towards the AI Scientist.

Image Credit: Wowza (created with Ideogram)

What if the best person to teach you about AI… is your teenage kid?

In a recent episode of Sidecar Sync, hosts Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias speak with Conor Grennan, Chief AI Architect at NYU Stern, and his 16-year-old son, Finn. The two recently returned from Nepal, where they co-led AI workshops for educators and nonprofit leaders. The goal wasn’t to showcase cutting-edge tools or deliver step-by-step instructions, it was to start a conversation with people who are still working through what AI means in a learning environment.

Conor, with his background advising major organizations, brought the broader context. Finn brought lived experience as a student figuring out how AI fits into daily academic life. The pairing created space for discussion, not just about how AI works, but how it's being used, misunderstood, or avoided entirely. The workshop setting gave educators an opportunity to ask questions without pressure and to hear from someone directly affected by the policies they’re shaping.

Some ideas that emerged during the conversation:

Educators in Nepal voiced concerns that echoed what many U.S. teachers are asking—especially around responsible use, learning outcomes, and trust.
A lack of specific guidelines in many schools leads to inconsistent practices and, often, quiet avoidance of AI altogether.
Finn’s involvement helped lower barriers and made the conversation feel less formal and more relevant.
Simple, real-world examples resonated more than technical explanations, especially when grounded in daily classroom routines.
Educators were open to learning but often unsure where to begin without institutional support or time to experiment.
Peer learning, when built on mutual respect and familiarity, helped make space for honest questions.
Associations and professional communities can play a useful role in sustaining these conversations and offering practical models for engagement.

The workshops in Nepal illuminated patterns that reach far beyond any single educational system or culture. The discussions they led could have taken place in classrooms anywhere because the underlying tensions remain consistent. When students can access sophisticated assistance for their assignments, how do we ensure they're still developing the thinking skills they'll need? How do we prepare them for a world where collaborating with AI becomes standard practice? These questions challenge basic assumptions about learning that have guided education for generations.

What made their collaborative approach effective was how it brought together viewpoints that are often kept separate in educational discussions. Conor understands institutional dynamics, how organizations typically evaluate new technologies, the concerns that drive policy decisions, and the careful implementation processes that institutions follow. Finn knows the student reality, dealing with conflicting messages about AI use, watching peers find creative applications while teachers express uncertainty, and trying to figure out appropriate boundaries without clear guidance. When they taught together, participants could ask questions that addressed both perspectives simultaneously. The most productive conversations happened when educators could explore institutional considerations with Conor while also hearing from Finn about how he actually navigates daily decisions about AI use in his schoolwork. This approach created space for discussions that connected policy development with real-world application, bridging a gap that often exists when educational AI conversations happen without meaningful input from the students who are most directly affected by these emerging policies and practices.

Watch it on YouTube here.

Listen on Apple Podcasts here.

Listen on Spotify here.

OTHER INTERESTING AI HIGHLIGHTS:

Why Entry-Level Roles May Feel AI’s Pressure First

/Sophie Caldwell, (Associate Work Reporter, Make It), on CNBC

AI is changing the workplace—but not in the way many headlines suggest. According to Wharton’s Ethan Mollick, AI isn’t yet ready to fully replace human jobs, but it poses a real risk to entry-level roles and hands-on learning. In a wide-ranging interview, Mollick breaks down the limits of today’s AI, what skills are still essential, and why “bundled jobs” are likely to hold up better than narrowly defined roles. He emphasizes that the biggest challenge isn’t the tech—it’s how leaders choose to implement it.

Another Crazy Day in AI: When Teenagers Teach Adults

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